Safety
At
Veolia, safety is the foundation of our company. We know that everything we do
has to revolve around providing safe and efficient transportation for our
customers, clients and employees.
While we are very proud of our current safety efforts and programs, we are
always looking for ways to raise our game even further. To be truly
“word-class” you have to be exceptional – and that is our goal.
A comprehensive approach to safety and loss control begins at the top of the
organization and filters down through every level of management and company
operations. Achieving “world class safety” status is wholly dependent upon a
uniform cultural norm wherein risk-averse behavior is considered a priority for
every member of the organization. To achieve continued exceptional results,
this norm must be integrated into daily business practices and it must drive
all business processes, especially those dealing with our valued employees. The
most influential processes are employee recruiting, selection, orientation, job
skills training, in-service education and continuing support.
To assure continuous improvement, we have a rigorous and comprehensive internal
and external audit process. These audits measure compliance with Federal, State
and Local requirements, OSHA, Company minimum safety standards and overall
effectiveness and impact of our safety culture.
This
graphic summarizes our holistic approach to safety, which incorporates and
affects every aspect of our business
Together, we at Veolia Transportation take our
responsibility to the communities we serve very seriously, and it starts with
safety.
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From Theory to Practice - Phoenix Example
During 2004, our contract in Phoenix received a total of 18 citations for
running red lights, prompting our “Red Light Running” program. Understanding
that reducing this figure needed the help and support of everyone running the
contract, the Operation, Training and Safety Departments pulled together to
reduce the numbers to just 4 citations for 2005. Through a targeted poster and
flyer campaign heightening the awareness of particular intersections, together
with the establishment of a "Riding Team" to go out and talk to operators
driving the routes with problem intersections and red light cameras, we
encouraged operators to remember to exercise greater caution passing through
those locations, while still encouraging them to pay attention to all
intersections regardless of camera or not.
The growing number of days between citations help us to keep our staff engaged
in the program. In July of 2005, as we reached 156 days from our previous
violation, we held a staff cook out at the depot, to congratulate the team on
our progress.
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The Evolution of Safety – Concord, North Carolina
Employing a high standard of safety practices begins from day one. When we
started our contract for Concord Kannapolis Area Transit (Rider) in January
2004, we started as we meant to carry on ensuring safety became an integral
part of daily life.
Cultural Change - Employing catch-phrases to sum up our safety expectations,
interviewing each member of the team personally to understand their issues and
concerns, and ensuring two-way communication and feedback was the key to
changing to a “safety first” culture.
In addition to a positive, pro-active approach to safety, there were a number of
tools that we used to help keep safety in the minds of our employees. A “Safety
Message of the Day” board in our dispatch office, as well as an “Accident Free
Days” board entering the drivers’ lounge, showed how many days have passed
without a preventable vehicle accident or preventable personal injury accident.
Each day, dispatchers announced a safety “message of the day” over the radio,
broadcasting additional reminders about safe following distances and speeds as
weather conditions dictate. Pre-trip inspection booklets were designed,
complete with photos and diagrams that broke down exactly what operators were
responsible for.
Teaching & Coaching - In May 2005 we trained all operators on the Smith
System Defensive Driving Program, and in June 2005 we had DriveCam installed.
After implementation we went 5 months without a preventable accident. The
results speak for themselves and it was a clear example for our client of the
innovation and forwarding thinking that Veolia Transportation offers.
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